Josh, I'm Sorry
by Forestsong
Summary: Drake was walking through the halls after apologizing to Josh in Chemistry class. Much to his surprise, he found comfort in an unexpected place. Spoilers for Josh is Done.


**Disclaimer: I don't own "Drake and Josh" or any of the characters from the show.**

**Summary: Drake was walking through the halls after apologizing to Josh in Chemistry class. Much to his surprise, he found comfort in an unexpected place.**

**This story takes place near the end of the newest "Drake and Josh" episode, called "Josh is Done". If you haven't seen it, you won't understand what's going on. And it is NOT slash!**

Drake couldn't believe it. Josh still refused to accept his apology and start treating him like a brother again. He felt so lost without Josh, who had become a constant companion. To see his brother just deny his existence hurt him, and hurt him badly. He was walking down the hall, tears threatening to fall, when he felt himself collide with someone.

"Oh!" he heard a female voice exclaim. He looked down and saw that he had knocked books from a girls' arms. He didn't think anything of it, or bend down to help her, he just stood as though in a daze.

"Drake? Are you ok?" the girl asked.

"Yeah. Fine."

"Why are you wet?"

"Chemistry... Who are you?"

She put her fingers under his chin and brought his head up so he could see her. "I'm Attie Logan. You know, the biggest girl-geek in school." She paused and searched his chocolate brown eyes with her sapphire ones. In a soft voice, she asked, "Are you crying?"

He jerked out of her hold. "No! No, I'm not!"

"Drake--"

"Why do you care?" He ran his hand across his eyes. "You don't know anything about what I'm going through."

Attie finished putting away her books. "Drake, come with me." She put her arm around his shoulders and lead him to a quiet corner of the schools' library. As she got the dazed guy to sit, she handed him some tissues. "Tell me what's wrong."

"Annie--"

"Attie."

"Whatever."

"Don't tell me there's nothing wrong. I know how to tell when someone's upset."

Drake sat in silence, his face in his hands. "It's... It's Josh. He... He still won't accept my apology."

"You did make him late for his exam."

"But it's been two weeks! He's never been mad at me this long before. I mean, he was pretty mad when I wrecked the dune buggy, but he got over it pretty fast. Then there was the time I had the party at Helen's and I didn't get in trouble. He and I have gotten close, you know? His dad and my mom have been married almost four years. He and I have shared a bedroom for that long." Attie gently rubbed his back and let him talk. "It's just... I haven't realized until now that I _need_ him in my life. I know it sounds really gay, but he makes things interesting. Nothing's the same with him ignoring me." A tear fell and landed on his soggy jeans.

"Drake, try to understand him. Although he did perfectly on his exam and ended up not being marked down a letter grade, you leaving him at home caused him to be late and then ridiculed by the teacher in front of the class. He's hurting. To Josh, getting a low grade is ruining his chance to get into a good college. And instead of showing his hurt like you are, with outbursts and apologies, he's withdrawing from you, making it seem like his life is better with you out of the picture."

"That's not what's wrong," Drake muttered.

Attie continued to rub his back. "Then tell me what happened."

"I got in to chemistry class just before the bell, and the teacher told me to take my seat. I went to sit and some other kid was on my stool. Josh told me that he had changed lab partners, and I was put at the front of the room with some nerd, who doesn't speak normal-talk. Josh always does the experiments, but this nerd didn't help me. So I mixed stuff together and it bubbled over my arm, and the teacher shoved me into a shower, so now I'm wet. I apologized to Josh, and told him that I was wrong, that I _do_ need him, just more than I'm willing to admit. He didn't say anything, but when I walked out of the room, I stood outside the door and heard the teacher ask Josh if he wanted to come after me and talk. Josh told him no." More tears fell. "I don't know what to do."

Attie stopped rubbing his back and made him look at her. "First, we're going to get you out of the wet clothes."

"I don't have a change, and I'm _not_ walking around here naked."

"Don't worry about it. I have sweats in my locker that I use just in case I stain the clothes I'm wearing. I wash them every few days, so they're clean. C'mon."

A few minutes later, she was handing Drake a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt. He took them reluctantly, and shifted on his feet. Attie realized why and handed him a pair of boxers. "I wear them in gym sometimes," she explained at his quizzical look. He changed in the men's room and she took his wet things to the Home Ec class and used their dryer.

While his clothes were drying, Attie grabbed him a sandwich and a bottle of water from the cafeteria and lead him outside. He wasn't as pale as he had been earlier, but she could tell Drake was still very upset. He talked more about how lonely he was feeling, and how he still couldn't understand why Josh was treating him the way he was.

"Drake, the only thing I can tell you is to give it time. Josh doesn't do anything without reason; I've known him since kindergarten. He'll come around and realize how he's hurt you. Remember though, you did wrong him, badly."

"I know. Won't we get in trouble for not being in class?"

"No. The principal gave me permission to miss class today, as I have a very important paper to write. He'll excuse you if you're with me."

"Oh."

They talked for a while longer, then Attie went and retrieved his now-dry clothes. He changed and handed her back what she'd lent him, including the boxers. As he straightened his shirt he asked, "Why?"

"What?"

"Why? Why did you do this for me? I've never talked to you before, and I've probably made fun of you. You have every reason to hate me."

Attie smiled warmly and put her hand on his shoulder. "You ask 'why'? I'll tell you. I myself have never had many friends, and the few I have are near and dear to me. Drake, I know what it's like to have people ignore you and treat you like trash. I know what it's like to be pushed around and laughed at. It's not pretty. So when I see someone upset in the halls, I try to comfort them, because everyone always laughed when it happened to me. Rather than laugh, I comfort, as no one ever did it for me."

**Three Days Later...**

Drake found Attie at a water fountain down the hall from his English class and approached her. "Hi Attie."

"Hi Drake. You look a lot better."

He smiled widely. "Josh finally forgave me and started talking to me again."

"That's great. You looked lost. Well, good luck to you." Attie turned to walk away.

"Attie, wait." She stopped and turned, confused. Drake walked up to her and hugged her. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being there when no one else was."

**Author's Note: Well, that's the end. I have no intention to continue this, so please review!**


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